Washington — Debbie Jackson, an Easton parent of a child with behavioral challenges, shared her story on Capitol Hill Thursday morning during a hearing on how schools can handle such children without using seclusion or physical restraint.

Jackson was joined by Dr. Michael George, the director of Bethlehem's Centennial School of Lehigh University, where her now 9-year-old son, Elijah, was enrolled for more than two years.

In prepared remarks, Jackson told the U.S. Senatepanel responsible education policy that her son, who she adopted as a baby, was diagnosed with a long list of conditions ranging from "intermittent explosive disorder" to "bipolar disorder" to "asperger's disorder." She said he was thrown out of 10 daycares for aggression. He turned over desks and chairs, ripped pictures off the walls and threw tantrums.

"Over the next several years Elijah and I experienced many challenges with harsh discipline on bus rides, being placed in "seclusion" rooms scores of times, being restrained in basket holds, being restrained by his arms, wrists and legs by multiple staff at the same time, countless bruises from school staff, and coming home in someone else's clothes due to sweating from physically fighting the teachers to stop them from holding him down," she recalled in her written testimony.

After two and a half years at Centennial, which has a "hands off" policy and promotes positive behavioral interventions, Jackson's son transitioned back to normal public school in March. She described him as healthy and active and a bright student.

George, in his prepared testimony, said in the past 14 years the school has converted to what he described as "Positive Behavior Support Plans" for each student and the children are given reinforcements and encouragement for good behavior.

Iowa Democrat U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, who chaired the hearing and crafted the landmark 1989 Americans with Disabilities Act, has legislation pending that would limit the use of restraint or seclusion of children and create a grant program for states to train schools how to use positive techniques like Centennial has employed.

"Schools that educate students with the most significant behavorial and emotional challenges and disorders can choose from an array of preventative, positive interventions...Even in the case of students with the most challenging behaviors, seclusion and restraint is not necessary except in emergency situations," Harkin said in opening the hearing.